Never Goes out of Style
by Della19
Summary: Purple may go out of style, but love never does. Inspired by that cute little Walterism from the beginning of "The Bishop Revival" and Peter/Olivia all the way.


Disclaimer: I do not own Fringe or any of its brilliant characters. I am merely borrowing them for the purpose of entertainment, and promise to return them in (mostly) pristine condition.

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It's the first thing he sees when he walks into the lab and at the sight he stops dead in his tracks because it's shockingly purple, so bright that he wonders that his eyes aren't burning and it's easily the most disturbing thing he's ever seen in this lab (and considering some of the things he's seen in this lab that is definitely saying something). He stays frozen for a moment, his throat trying to find words, anything to explain the terrible creature that is now inhabiting the lab, but since there are simply no words his mouth moves soundlessly as he stares at the monstrosity as if it's going to rear up and bite him at anytime (this happens far too often with things in his father's lab he's found).

A few minutes later he's broken out of his daze by Walter who sweeps into the room in typical Walter fashion and, upon seeing where his gaze has stuck (on the purple...thing; he wonders if his eyes are glued to it) exclaims joyfully,

"Ah Peter, I was looking around my things and I found my tuxedo. You know, the one I was talking about: the one I wore to marry your mother. Do you like it?"

Walter asks, like a big kid asking for approval and since the tone is too sweet for the truth, after a moment (where he bites down the instinctual and very heartfelt NO!) he answers cautiously,

"It's very purple...and nice, Walter. Very nice,"

Walter's entire face lights up at his answer and Peter can't help but smile at the look (and the good natured and long suffering one on Astrid's face behind him, who clearly has picked up on his less than favourable feelings towards the purple monstrosity). Walter however doesn't pick on his barely concealed sarcasm as he gestures towards the creation proudly, showing it off,

"See Peter, it would fit you, if you ever decided to marry wearing it. All you would need would be a certain very special lady to agree of course,"

Walter says and fluffs the ruffles (and don't even get him started on those because, ruffles, seriously?!) and he's about to reply, (with what he isn't sure, but hopefully something that will make Walter stop stroking the ruffles and get his mind out of a daydream involving a wedding where Peter is wearing the purple thing and Olivia is the bride...and the only reason he pauses there is because of the horror of having to wear that god awful purple creation, not because he's thinking about that last part; really) when he's pre-empted by a very familiar voice asking from behind him,

"What special lady?"

At that Peter experiences a very familiar wave of panic (his father has a knack for getting him into situations like this) and nearly curses out loud at his bad luck (because seriously, of all the times for Olivia to walk in, fate had to pick this one) and he whips around quickly to look at her as she walks in and then stops as she catches sight of his father's suit. He's got to give her credit though, as her eyes only widen a small fraction in shock before she gets herself back under control and composes her face back to normal, regaining the use of her limbs much quicker than he did. He's rapidly brought out of his observation of the ever lovely Olivia Dunham (his father, despite his numerous faults, is a man of surprising insights) by Walter, who, since he is oblivious to the general opinion of his treasure, takes it upon himself to very thoughtfully answer Olivia's question, as he brightens and says cheerfully,

"Why the special lady that Peter will marry one day of course! And she would have to be very special, wouldn't she, _Special_ Agent Dunham,"

And then the old goat actually winks at Olivia, the motion greatly exaggerated so as to ensure that there is no way that she'll miss it and Peter's pretty sure that he can actually feel his blood pressure rise to critical levels and so he whips around to face his father and in an attempt to pre-empt whatever else his father might say next he asks,

"Walter, didn't you have something else you were doing?"

Rather desperately, in an attempt to try and salvage what's left of this situation (and his pride, which, if the look on Astrid's face is any indication is a loss cause). His father however looks thoughtfully into space for a moment before his head snaps up and he replies,

"Of course, my experiment! Thank you for reminding me son! Asterisk, do you have the sheep's brain I asked for?"

Astrid simply rolls her gently in Peter and Olivia's direction in response (she's long given up on trying to correct his father on her name; now he thinks she just tries to guess what Walter will come up with next) before she turns back towards his father and says, her tone soft and long suffering,

"Yes Walter, I have the sheep's brain and before you ask, I also have the cherry Kool Aide."

"Excellent, my dear. Bring them over here if you would?"

Walter asks and then promptly forgets that anyone else is in the lab as he moves over to the far side of the lab and Astrid follows, leaving himself and Olivia alone with the purple monster and the burning topic that this father had brought to light. Peter finds himself fighting the urge to fidget as they stand beside each other and studiously not look at one another (there was a reason they had been avoiding that particular topic, because silences like this are just plain awkward) until Olivia, never taking her eyes off the purple suit, finally asks tentatively,

"Kool Aide?"

It's a peace offering; a 'I'm willing not to ask why Walter is dreaming about weddings where you and I play the starring roles' statement and Peter latches onto it like a drowning man would to a life preserver, shooting her a thankful smile before he responds, his humour slightly bolstered,

"I have no idea. And truthfully, I'm not sure if I want to know what Walter is doing,"

"That might be best,"

Olivia acknowledges with a tiny smile that Peter has no doubt is prompted by memories of all of the truly harmless, but insane things that they've walked in on Walter trying to do (his personal favourite, hands down, has got to be the time when Walter tried to animate gummy bears, just so he could see what colour offspring they would produce if they mated). Peter sends a tiny smile back in her direction, and they once again lapse into silence, which although it starts comfortable soon becomes slightly awkward as they both find themselves sneaking looks at the suit and the each other, as if they are both trying to will the other into being the one to bring up the giant, purple ruffled elephant in the room.

After a few minutes Peter finally bites the bullet and decides he might as well man up and face the music (although he'd rather go up against that monster that impregnated Agent Francis again than breach this particular subject) and when he notices Olivia's eyes on him he shrugs his shoulders towards the suit and brings one of his arms up to brush agitatedly through his hair before he finally says, the words spilling out rapidly,

"My father has this dream that I'll get married in his old suit and that the woman that I marry will call him dad and he's apparently decided that out of the two woman that I converse with on a daily basis, you're the best candidate for the position,"

There's a second of silence after he's spoken, where Olivia just looks at him with this indescribable look on her face and at that look Peter pauses and looks over what he's said, and once he (rather abruptly) realises that it sounded vaguely insulting, drops his arm to his side and turns father towards her and hurries to correct what he's said,

"That came out wrong; I wasn't trying to insinuate that would be the only way that... I mean it's not that you wouldn't be if I did converse with more than two women daily... I mean, you're a very beautiful woman and you could have any man you want...and you know what? I'm just going to shut up now. Please feel free to pretend that I never said anything at all,"

He finishes and fixes his eyes on his feet like the secret to the universe is contained in the leather of his shoes; painfully aware of just how red is face is with the force of his sheer embarrassment. He doesn't dare look up; she's armed after all, and probably still hurting from her experience with John Scott (and there's a man that Peter wouldn't mind getting Walter to resurrect, just so that Peter could beat the crap out of him for what he put Olivia through) and so the last thing she needs right now is his truly clumsy confessions of his less than co-workerish feelings for her (and that might just be the biggest understatement he's ever heard because he happens to think she's most amazing thing he's ever seen, and that's including everything he's seen since they first met, where she stood in a hotel lobby in Afghanistan and bluffed her way into getting him to release his father).

They stand together in a silence that seems to last forever for Peter and just when he's ready to declare that he's sniffed something mind altering from Walter's lab and that he doesn't know what he's saying, Olivia grasps his chin and, with a quick look in Walter and Astrid's direction, moves towards him and in one smooth movement press her lips to his own. For a second he simply stands there, shock paralyzing him as her lips move against his own firmly before his mouth drops open, in question or in submission he's not sure (it could also definitely be shock) but whatever the cause Olivia takes advantage of the movement by thrusting her tongue into his mouth and twining it with his own. At the jolt of pleasure that gesture prompts his mind finally catches up with the situation and he finally joins in, his lips actively moving against hers and he thrusts his tongue into her mouth and kisses her with all the feeling he's been suppressing, in a manner that can only be called carnal.

They break apart for air, both of them breathless and slightly dishevelled (he has no recollection of how his hands ended up in her hair or how hers ended up on his ass but he's definitely not complaining) and Olivia steps back out of his reach with another quick look in Walter and Astrid's direction (neither of them have noticed, although if Peter had more than one brain cell still functioning he wouldn't be surprised; when his father is engrossed in an experiment he wouldn't notice if someone stripped naked and did the can-can across the lab, and Astrid is no doubt using up all of her attention to make sure his father doesn't do something like end the world or spontaneously combust).

After a moment where they both desperately try to compose their selves (and largely fail) Olivia looks over at him, her gaze piercing and hot with some feeling that makes sweat break out over his skin and whispers, her voice impossibly husky,

"I'd call him dad,"

And then she turns her gaze from his rapidly widening one towards the purple people eater in the middle of the room and says, her voice sincere but with a hint of humour in her tone,

"But no purple."

And then she nods once, decisively and turns and swiftly exits the lab, leaving him gaping in shock in the wake of her words, the taste of her still lingering in his mouth. It takes him a moment before he finally works out what she's said: they may deal with the impossible every day but there are some things that even his mind can't comprehend and finally gets it and when he does he can't help but beam, like a little child who's been given the world the on a silver platter as a warm feeling spreads throughout his entire body.

He thinks maybe, just maybe he should listen to his father and his strange brand of wisdom more often, if this is the result.

Then Walter ruins the moment by walking back over and asking if he can have a llama brought to the lab; not for him, of course, but for Gene, because llama's and cows are actually great friends and at that reality (or some version of it at least; reality is a bit subjective at this juncture) reasserts itself and with a sigh he turns away from his thoughts to try and patiently explain to Walter why a llama isn't a good idea.

The smile however, doesn't leave his face for hours; he's most definitely willing to accept her terms.

Right after he hides that suit somewhere his father will never find it.

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A/N: After watching that impossibly cute scene at the beginning of the "The Bishop Revival" (season 2, episode 14) this just wouldn't leave my head and since we all need a little more Walter instigated Peter/Olivia fluff in our lives I wrote this. Enjoy, and feel free to leave a review or some constructive criticism.


End file.
